Risk factors associated with 30-day hospital readmission of older adults: case-control study

Objective To analyze the risk factors associated with hospital readmission of older adults within 30 days. Method A retrospective, case-control study of 568 patients discharged from hospital inpatient units in southern Brazil, comprising 284 cases (readmitted after discharge) and 284 controls (not readmitted) was conducted. Data were collected by consulting electronic medical records and analyzed using bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression. Results The variables reason for admission, comorbidities, history of hospitalization in previous year, emergency admission, length of stay, and types of discharge instructions, showed significant group differences (p<0.05) on bivariate analysis. On multivariate logistic regression, the protective factors identified were reason for admission due to infectious/parasitic diseases (p=0.007) and comorbidities categorized as “other” (p<0.001). The risk factors identified were reason for admission due to neoplasm (p<0.001), genitourinary comorbidities (p=0.028), history of hospitalization in previous year (p<0.001), emergency admission (p=0.016), length of stay upon admission in days (p<0.001), and discharge guidance for outpatient or surgical procedure (p=0.008). Conclusion Clinical and organizational risk factors were associated with readmission within 30 days in the older adults and warrant attention when planning care transition actions.